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Vinca ( Pacifica Mix)
Abelia / ə ˈ b iː l i ə / [1] is a formerly recognized genus that contained about 30 species and hybrids , placed in the honeysuckle family , Caprifoliaceae. Molecular phylogenetic studies showed that the genus was not monophyletic , and in 2013, Maarten Christenhusz proposed the merger of Abelia (excluding section Zabelia ) into Linnaea , along with some other genera. Abelia section Zabelia was raised to the genus Zabelia . [2]
Description Edit
Species formerly placed in Abelia are shrubs from 1–6 m tall, native to eastern Asia ( Japan west to the Himalaya ) and southern North America ( Mexico ); the species from warm climates are evergreen , and colder climate species deciduous. The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three, ovate, glossy, dark green, 1.5–8 cm long, turning purplish-bronze to red in autumn in the deciduous species. The flowers appear in the upper leaf axils and stem ends, 1-8 together in a short cyme ; they are pendulous, white to pink, bell-shaped with a five-lobed corolla, 1–5 cm long, and usually scented. Flowering continues over a long and continuous period from late spring to fall.
Some of these species are cultivated as ornamental garden plants, and may still be described as Abelia in horticultural listings. A notable example is the hybrid Abelia × grandiflora (now Linnaea × grandiflora ).
Taxonomy Edit
The generic name commemorates Clarke Abel , a keen naturalist who accompanied Lord Amherst's unsuccessful embassy to China in 1816 as surgeon, under the sponsorship of Sir Joseph Banks. All of Abel's seeds and plants were lost in a shipwreck on the homeward voyage, however; living plants of Abelia chinensis (now Linnaea chinensis ) were first imported to England in 1844 by Robert Fortune. [3]
Some species placed in Abelia were transferred to Linnaea at various times from 1872 onwards, but these transfers were not accepted by most botanists. Molecular phylogenetic studies showed that a number of genera traditionally placed in the tribe Linnaeeae were closely related, but that Abelia was not monophyletic, even with Abelia section Zabelia split off as a separate genus Zabelia . In 2013, Maarten Christenhusz proposed that Abelia and related genera be merged into Linnaea. [2] This proposal has been adopted by recent sources, including the Plants of the World Online. [4] [5]
Allergenicity Edit
Abelia has an OPALS allergy scale rating of 5, indicating moderate potential to cause allergic reactions, exacerbated by over-use of the same plant throughout a garden. [6] People allergic to honeysuckle may experience cross-reactive allergic reactions with Abelia. [6]
Symbolism Edit
The Abelia is symbolic for equality in some parts of Mexico